The Quarter-Acre Farm : How I Kept the Patio, Lost the Lawn, and Fed My Family for a Year

When Spring Warren told her husband and two teenage boys that she wanted to grow 75 percent of all the food they consumed for one year, and that she wanted to do it in their yard, they told her she was crazy. She did it anyway. The Quarter-Acre Farm is Warren's account of deciding, despite all resistance, to take control of her family's food choices, get her hands dirty, and create a garden in her suburban yard. It's a story of bugs, worms, rot, and failure; of learning, replanting, harvesting, and eating. The road is long and riddled with mistakes, but by the end of her yearlong experiment, Warren's sons and husband have become her biggest fans, in fact, they're even eager to help harvest (and eat) the beautiful bounty she brings in. Full of tips and recipes to help anyone interested in growing and preparing at least a small part of their diet at home, The Quarter-Acre Farm is a warm, witty tale about family, food, and the incredible gratification that accompanies self-sufficiency.

This is a collection to which everyone can relate: a multidimensional look at the universal challenge of keeping our stuff, our dwellings, and our personal space clean and uncluttered. How we feel about keeping house speaks volumes about who we are, our roots, relationships, and our outlook on life.

Publishers Weekly

Inspired in part by the prime cleaner, her mother, essayist Lewis (Life Inside: A Memoir) brings Malveaux together with an impressive range of opinions and related issues regarding keeping house in the 21st century. In Cleaning Ambivalence, Julianne Malveaux calls keeping house a dreaded chore for some, a cheerful obsession for others, and a fact of life for most of us. Other standouts include Joyce Maynard, who traces the correlation between housekeeping arguments and the dissolution of her marriage; and Rebecca Walker, who imagines the efforts her grandparents, sharecroppers who could be evicted without as much as a week's notice, put into creating a stable environment: They must have grasped at whatever rituals they could...keeping clothes and linens sparkling clean and freshly ironed, displaying fresh fruit... to ease a pervasive feeling of powerlessness. It seems significant attention was paid to finding not just a talented collection of writers (also including Louise DeSalvo, Kyoko Morri, Richard Goodman and Louise Rafkin) but a diverse set of perspectives, keeping this collection fresh despite narrow subject matter.
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tired Of Paying The Painter To Create A Mess On Your Floors? Can’t Be Held Up Another Day Waiting For A Plumber Between 9 And 5? Feeling Threatened By The Growing Pile Of Fix-it Projects In Your Basement? marie’s Home Improvement Guide Offers All The Tips You Need To Tackle These Projects … Yourself! Marie L. Leonard, Owner Of Her Own Home Improvement Business, Has Been Teaching Home Repair To Women For Years. With The Belief That Women Shouldn’t Have To Depend On Others For Home Repair, Leonard Is Helping Thousands Of Women Save Money And Time, Conquering The Fear Of Do-it-yourself Work. marie’s Home Improvement Guide Provides Readers With The Know-how To Tackle Projects Around The House. Leonard Covers The Basics: Introduction To Tools, Safety Precautions, Necessary Prep-work, And Shopping For The Right Materials. Leonard’s Tips Are Written In An Informative And Accessible Manner, Paired With Detailed Illustrations. A Reassuring Source Of Encouragement, marie’s Home Improvement Guide Is A Must-have Book For All First-time Do-it-yourselfers.

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for The Absolute Beginner, This Is A Baseline, Complete With The Fundamentals Of Tools, Materials, And Techniques. Projects Are All About Basic Home Care, With Minimal Illustrations. The Standout Feature Is The Superb Almost Nurturing Writing. In The Vein Of Julie Sussman And Stephanie Glakas-tenet's Dare To Repair Series, This Book Is Recommended For New Tinkerers.

Negative self-image. Fantasy-induced overspending. Marital tension. A new kind of airbrushed concoction is wreaking havoc on homes and psyches, and Sarah Welch and Alicia Rockmore have a name for it: org porn. It’s in magazines, coffee table books, advertisements, and TV shows, promoting a perfect — and entirely imaginary — world in which everything is always pristine, serene, and flawlessly organized. Pretty Neat is a handbook that embraces the chaotic reality that lies beneath org porn’s glossy veneer, offering pithy anecdotes and candid advice from experts and real women alike on tackling organizational inertia. Funny, irreverent, entertaining, and helpful, the book covers all facets of clutter-control, from tried-and-true tips for conquering to-do lists and wrangling family schedules to ideas on excavating inboxes, eliminating excuses, and delegating housework. Most importantly, Pretty Neat insists that women need to stop holding themselves to impossibly high standards, and focus instead on defining their own, realistic organizational goals. Full of engaging examples from everyday women, Pretty Neat offers readers unorthodox, surprisingly simple methods to reduce their org porn–fueled stress, insisting that perfection is impossible — and unnecessary — in this messy, unpredictable world called real life.

In She-smoke, Reinhardt Gives Step-by-step Instructions On A Variety Of Barbecue Topics, From Buying Local, Sustainable Meats, To Building The Perfect Slow And Low Fire, And Smoking A Holiday Barbecue Feast. She Includes A Host Of Delicious Recipes Aimed To Teach Women Technique, With More In-depth Instruction Than That Of A Conventional Cookbook. Women Will Learn The Elusive History Of 'cue, The Difference Between True Barbecue And Grilling, And All About The World Of Barbecue Competition. Featuring Interviews With Other Smokin' Women And Stories About Reinhardt's Family, She-smoke Brings Women Into The Greater Community Of Barbecue. Tools Of The Trade -- Playing With Fire : Getting Started -- Barbecue Smoke & Morrors : An Elusive History -- Meat Mixology : Rubs, Marinades, Mops & Sauces -- Grilling Basics -- Pork : First Barbecue -- Big & Beefy -- Birds For Birds -- Julie's Soapbox -- The Pacific Nw Salmon Bake -- Smokin' The Kitchen Sink : Cheese, Veggies, Spreads & Seafood -- Holiday Barbecue -- Accompaniments & Sweet Endings. Julie Reinhardt. Includes Bibliographical References (p. 279-281) And Index. Tired of paying the painter to create a mess on your floors? Can't be held up another day waiting for a plumber between 9 and 5? Feeling threatened by the growing pile of fix-it projects in your basement? Marie's Home Improvement Guide offers all the tips you need to tackle these projects by yourself! Marie L. Leonard, owner of her own home improvement business, has been teaching home repair to women for years. With the belief that women shouldn't have to depend on others for home repair, Leonard is helping thousands of women save money and time, conquering the fear of do-it-yourself work. Marie's Home Improvement Guide provides readers with the know-how to tackle projects around the house. Leonard covers the basics: introduction to tools, safety precautions, necessary prep-work, and shopping for the right materials. Leonard's tips are written in an informative and accessible manner, paired with detailed illustrations. A reassuring source of encouragement, Marie's Home Improvement Guide is a must-have book for all first-time do-it-yourselfers.

While wide awake in the middle of the night (welcome to menopause!), Amy Ferris began chronicling every one of her funny, sad, hysterical, down and dirty, and raw to the bones stories. Along with fantasizing about marrying George Clooney, Ferris is faced with a plethora of other insomnia-induced thoughts and activities. From googling old boyfriends to researching obscure and fatal diseases on the web; from scouting five-star spa destinations to having angry, bitter, e-mail exchanges with her brother. She worries endlessly about her husband, relies heavily on Ambien, and tries to arrange care via the Internet for her mother (who has both severe dementia and a massive love-bubble crush on Jesus Christ)—all while refraining from lighting up just one more cigarette. Marrying George Clooney explores a range of emotions experienced through this life-altering period. In this candid look at "the change," Ferris offers a humorous spin on a not-so-funny topic.

Can't be held up another day waiting for a plumber between 9 and 5? Feeling threatened by the growing pile of fix-it projects in your basement? Marie's Home Improvement Guide offers all of the tips you need to tackle these projects ... yourself! Marie L. Leonard, owner of her own home improvement business, has been teaching home repair to women for years. With the belief that no one should have to depend on others for home repair, Leonard helps thousands of women save money and time, conquering the fear of do-it-yourself work. Marie's Home Improvement Guide provides the know-how so you can tackle that list of projects you have stacking up around the house. Learn the basics: introduction to tools, safety precautions, necessary prep-work, and shopping for the right materials. Hang a picture, install a door, fix a leaky faucet, and even replace an old electrical outlet. Leonard covers a wide range of projects from easy (one saw) to more advanced (four saws) While wide awake in the middle of the night (welcome to menopause!), Amy Ferris began chronicling every one of her funny, sad, hysterical, down and dirty, and raw to the bones stories. Along with fantasizing about marrying George Clooney, Ferris is faced with a plethora of other insomnia-induced thoughts and activities, from googling old boyfriends to researching obscure and fatal diseases on the web, from scouting five-star spa destinations to having angry, bitter, e-mail exchanges with her brother. She worries endlessly about her husband, relies heavily on Ambien, and tries to arrange care via the Internet for her mother (who has both severe dementia and a massive love-bubble crush on Jesus Christ) all while refraining from lighting up just one more cigarette. Marrying George Clooney explores a range of emotions experienced through this life-altering period. In this candid look at "the change," Ferris offers a humorous spin on a not-so-funny topic. When Linda Furiya decided to move to China with her boyfriend at the age of thirty, she hoped to find romance and ethnic kinship. Expecting common ground with locals as an Asian American, Furiya struggled with her ambition as a food writer in a nation where notions of race and gender are set in stone. During the six years she lived in Beijing and Shanghai, Furiya experienced a wide range of experiences—loneliness, isolation, friendship, and love—tied together by one common theme: food. Ultimately, Furiya surpassed these challenges and found inspiration from the courageous Chinese women who graced her life. The sensuous experience of preparing and eating authentic Chinese cuisine follows Furiya throughout her journey, and ultimately reveals the intimate, nurturing side of the Chinese culture and people. Part insightful memoir, part authentic cookbook, How to Cook a Dragon is a revealing look at race, love, and food in China." "While wide awake in the middle of the night (welcome to menopause!), Amy Ferris began chronicling every one of her funny, sad, hysterical, down and dirty, and raw to the bones stories. Along with fantasizing about marrying George Clooney, Ferris is faced with a plethora of other insomnia-induced thoughts and activities. From googling old boyfriends to researching obscure and fatal diseases on the web; from scouting five-star spa destinations to having angry, bitter, e-mail exchanges with her brother. She worries endlessly about her husband, relies heavily on Ambien, and tries to arrange care via the Internet for her mother (who has both severe dementia and a massive love-bubble crush on Jesus Christ){u2014}all while refraining from lighting up just one more cigarette.Marrying George Clooneyexplores a range of emotions experienced through this life-altering period..."--P. 4 of cover She-Smoke: A Backyard Barbecue Book, by Julie Reinhardt, empowers women to take their place back at the fire. In She-Smoke, Reinhardt gives step-by-step instructions on a variety of barbecue topics, from buying local, sustainable meats, to building the perfect slow and low fire, and smoking a holiday barbecue feast. She includes a host of delicious recipes aimed to teach women technique, with more in-depth instruction than that of a conventional cookbook. Women will learn the elusive history of bar-b-cue, the difference between true barbecue and grilling, and all about the world of barbecue competition. Featuring interviews with other'smokin'” women and stories about Reinhardt's family, She-Smoke brings women into the greater community of barbecue. She-Smoke: A Backyard Barbecue Book, by Julie Reinhardt, empowers women to take their place back at the fire. In She-Smoke, Reinhardt gives step-by-step instructions on a variety of barbecue topics, from buying local, sustainable meats, to building the perfect slow and low fire, and smoking a holiday barbecue feast. She includes a host of delicious recipes aimed to teach women technique, with more in-depth instruction than that of a conventional cookbook. Women will learn the elusive history of cue, the difference between true barbecue and grilling, and all about the world of barbecue competition. Featuring interviews with other smokin women and stories about Reinhardts family, She-Smoke brings women into the greater community of barbecue. Negative self-image. Fantasy-induced overspending. Marital tension. A new kind of airbrushed concoction is wreaking havoc on homes and psyches, and Sarah Welch and Alicia Rockmore have a name for it: org porn. It's in magazines, coffee table books, advertisements, and TV shows, promoting a perfect {u2014} and entirely imaginary {u2014} world in which everything is always pristine, serene, and flawlessly organized. Pretty Neat is a handbook that embraces the chaotic reality that lies beneath org porn{u2019}s glossy veneer, offering pithy anecdotes and candid advice from experts and real women alike on tackling organizational inertia Tools of the trade Getting started Barbecue history Rubs, marinades, sauces, and slathers Pork Beef Birds for birds The Pacific NW salmon bake Smoking the kitchen sink (includes cheese, dips, vegetables, seafood, etc.) Grilling basics Holiday barbecue Beginnings and endings : a short chapter on accompaniments and sweet Endings. A follow-up to the best-selling Bento Box in the Heartland follows the food writer author's relocation to China with her boyfriend, her six-year struggles with isolation and friendship, and the ways in which a greater understanding of Chinese culture and cuisine enriched her life "We all have an amusing relationship with dirt. Some of us have just thought about it more than others. How we feel about keeping house speaks volumes about who we are, our roots, relationships, and even our outlook on life. Everyone can relate to DIRT"--Page 4 of cover The owner of Seattle's Smokin' Pete's BBQ lays down all the delicious facts for women who aspire to be BBQ Queens Family dirt Dust of generations Down & dirty Into/out of the closet Other people's dirt A clean new world.